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Friday, October 22, 2010

It's almost a joke, because it's almost funny. After the NAACP released a report on tea party ties to racism, the right is in fits. It's a "smear," they insist with all the indignation their little hearts can muster. It's the worst thing ever and it's just not true, they complain. But here's the punchline -- as they insist they aren't racist, they do nothing to hide their racism.

And it's an unknown the GOP/tea party isn't very comfortable with. In Wisconsin, the tea party had a plan to practice voter caging in largely minority areas and among students, which violates the National Voter Rights Act of 1993. In Illinois, Mark Kirk was caught on tape discussing plans to send "voter integrity" squads to "vulnerable" -- i.e., mostly African-American -- districts in his race for Senate. And of course, there's the already infamous "Don't Vote" ad, urging hispanics -- who vote overwhelmingly Democrat -- to stay home to send a message on immigration reform.

But, so far, the worst has been in Texas, where incumbent wingnut Governor Rick Perry is in a surprisingly tight race with Democrat. Perry will still probably win, but why take chances?

Harris County [where the video report was recorded] is the same county where a suspicious arson over the summer knocked out most of the electronic voting machines. It contains Houston, the state's largest city, a majority African-American area, and home to Bill White, former mayor and current candidate against Rick Perry for Governor.

The group "True the Vote," made up of tea partiers, operates as a voter suppression brigade, recruiting poll watchers in Harris County over fears of "voter fraud," the same tactic used every year by the right to minimize votes from core Democratic constituencies. All of the reports being investigated by the DoJ took place in early voting sites in predominantly African-American and Hispanic areas. Some of the eyewitness reports can be found here.

In the Tea Party, Republican operatives have found a willing group of poll watchers who actually believe all the stories about ACORN stealing elections and the like. So this is a combustible mix...

You know what would be a great way to dispel accusations of racism? Stop shrieking about it being a smear and just quit being so goddam racist.